Match-safe.



No. 688,|29. Patented Dec. 3, |901.

F. SCHNECKENBURGEB. l

MATCH SAFE.

(Application led Har. 13, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

W/ TNE SSE S Patented Dec. 3, |90l. F. SCHNECKENBURGER. l

MATCH SAFE.

(Application led Mar. 13, 1 901.)

(No Model.)

W/ TNE SSE S.'

ns ca., vncmxumo.. wAsHlNGToN D c TTED STATES PATENT FFICE.

FREDRICK SCHNECKENBURGER, OF VVILKESBARRE, PENNSYLVANIA.

MATCH-SAFE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 688,129, dated December 3, 1901. Application filed March 13, 1901. Serial No. 50,959. (No model.)

To all wtont it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDRICK SCHNECKEN- BURGER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Wilkesbarre, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Match-Safe, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of the invention is to so construct a match-safe that but a single match can be removed therefrom at a single operation and whereby when a match is removed an alarm will be sounded.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide a sliding device whereby one match at each operation of the slide will be carried from a receptacle through which the slide works and automatically delivered at the exterior of the safe in such position that it can be quickly and conveniently removed or picked up.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide a mechanism in connection with the slide which will hold the mass of matches in such position that the position of a single match on the slide as it rises will not be disturbed.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts Vin all the iigures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved device. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken about centrally through the device; and Fig. 3 is a vertical section in a plane at right angles to that of Fig. 2, passing through just to the left of the slide 21 in that figure and looking from left to right.

A represents a receptacle, which may be of any desired shape. In the drawings, however, the receptacle is shown as of rectangular shape and with a flaring base B, upon which a roughened surface C is formed, against which the head of the match is to be struck. In the front face 10 of the receptacle A a vertical groove 11 is produced, and upon the upper edge of the said front piece 10 a shelf 12 is secured in any suitable or approved manner, which shelf extends inward and upward at the top port-ion of the receptacle and downing over the roller 18a is ward and outward beyond the front'face of the receptacle. The shelf 12 is provided with a central cavity 13, and at each side of the said cavity a flange 14 is formed on the outer longitudinal edge of the shelf, and the match which is to be delivered from the receptacle falls upon the shelf or table 12 and rolls down against the flanges 14. The match maybe readily removed from the shelf or table 12, owing to the recess 13 at the central portion of said shelf, which admits of the match being readily grasped, as the match when on the table extends over the said recess or opening 13. An inner front partition 15 is located just back of the front section or panel lO of the receptacle; but the inncrpartition is sufficiently removed to provide a space 16, in which space a block 17 is held to slide, the said block being provided with an attached knob 18, the shank of which knob extends out through the slot or groove 11 in the front face or panel of the receptacle. The space in which the block 17 moves is regulated in width by suitable side battens (not shown) located at each side of its center.

In the upper central portion of the inner vertical partition 15 a recess is produced, and in this upper recess a roller 1S is mounted to turn. A tape 19 or its equivalent is passed over this roller, and one end of the tape is secured to the sliding block 17 by means of an eye 2O or its equivalent. This tape afterpasscarried down at the inside of the partition 15 and is secured in any suitable or approved manner to the upper portion of a delivery-slide 21, which deliveryslide is usually made of metal-as, for example, lead-and is quite heavy. The upper face or edge 22 of this delivery-slide is preferably beveled downward in direction of the front of the receptacle, and when the delivery-slide 21 is in its normal position (shown in Fig. 2) the lower end of the delivery-slide enters a recess or cavity 23, made in the base B. At the lower central portion of the said delivery-slide a lug 2-1 is pivotally attached, which lug is capable of folding up against the delivery-slide in an upward direction, but is prevented from assuming other than a horizontal lower position, which latter position is the normal position of said lug.

The receptacle A is provided with a match- IOO receiving compartmentE at its upper portion, and this match-receiving compartment is formed by introducing into the said receptacle at its upper portion a downwardly and forwardly inclined partition 25, the upper face of which when the delivery-slide is in its lower or normal position constitutes practicallya continuation of the upper inclined Fig. 2.

edge 22 of the said slide, as is also shown in The matches placed in the compartment E naturally gravitate to the lower' portion of the compartment, and consequently rest against the tape 19. The lowermost forward match will find a bearing upon the upper inclined face or edge 22 of the deliveryslide. A In order to prevent this lowermost forward match from being accidentally dislodged from its position on the delivery-slide, an angular plate 26 is slidably secured to the tape 19, just above the upper inclined edge of the delivery-slide, as is also shown in Fig. 2, so that when the button or knob 18 is pressed downward and the delivery-slide 21 is raised the match which is on the top edge 22 of the said slide 2l will be carried up by said slide, the plate 26 forcing out of the way the matches above and i-n front of the one to be delivered. The reason for making the plate or separator adjustable is to adapt it to matches of different thicknesses.

A top A is provided for the receptacle A, and this top is preferably provided with an upper central opening in which a transparent pane 27 is located, so that the operation of the device is visible to the operator. This top or cover A may be and preferably is secured to the receptacle by means of a suitable lock 28. The top or cover A is provided with an opening 29 at the front, and this opening is just above the shelf or table 12, as shown in Fig. 1. The cover A' is provided with a curved channel 30, which communicates with the front outlet 29, as shown in Fig. 2, aportion of this curved channel 30 being formed by the inner partition 15 and its attachments. Springs 31 are secured to the rear of the receptacle A, and these springs extend forwardly and upwardly to the top of the inner partition 15, and when a match is carried up by the delivery-slide 2l Athe match is forced past the springs 31 and enters the passage or groove 30 and slides down the said passage to the shelf or table 12. A gong 32 or other form of alarm device is secured, preferably, to the back of the receptacle A4 below the inclined partition 25, as is also shown in Fig. 2, and

- this gong is adapted to be struck by a hammer 33, held in an upper position by a spring 34, the hammer being fulcrumed upon a suitable support 35, and the forward end 36 of this hammer is engaged by the lug 24 on the delivery-slide as the said slide is carried upward to deliver a match, and this lug at that time forces down the striking end 33 of the hammeragainst the resistance of the spring 34. When the lug 24 leaves the forward end 36 of the hammer, the spring 34 forces the striking end of the hammer to an engagement with the gong, thus sounding an alarm at about the time a match has been delivered. When the delivery-slide returns to its initial position, the lug 24 is carried upward and does not act upon the hammer 33 of the gong. With reference to the angular separatingplate 26, (see Figs. 2 and 3,) this is arranged to overhang the top edge of the slide above the match that is to be lifted, and with the slide moves along the inner vertical face of the partition-wall 15, so that as the angular plate 26 rises with the slide said plate 26 crowds the su perincumbent matches laterally away from the match held on top of the slide, so that the match is not disturbed or displaced as it rises through the mass of matches above it.

I desire it to be understood that the alarm device may be omitted if so desired, but usually its presence is desirable, and that the match-box may be hung upon a wall or made to rest upon a support, and, further, that round or square matches can be used in the device with equally good results.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a match-safe, theinclined bottom receptacle for the matches, a delivery.- slide adapted to receive a match on its upper edge and working vertically, a superposed pulley, a liexible connection extending from the top of the slide around the pulley, and a second depressible slide attached to the flexible connection and having a handle projecting through a vertical guide-slot in the case, a spring extending over the match-receptacle to the pulley, and a case having a discharge passage-way extending over and in front of the pulley, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A match-safe having a match-delivering slide provided with a lifting-tape and an overhan ging guard-plate on the lifting-tape above the match-seat, for the purpose of relieving the match, which is to be ejected, from the weight and stress 'of the superincumbent matches when rising through the same as described.

3. In a match-safe the inclined bottom receptacle for matches, a delivery-slide adapted to receive a match on its upper edge and working vertically, a superposed pulley, a lexible connection extending from the top of the slide around the pulley, a second depressible slide attached to the eXible connection and having a handle projecting through a vertical guide-slot in the case, and an'overhanging guard-plate for the slide attached to the flexible connectipn at a point immediately above the match-seat of the slide substantially as and for the purpose described.

et. In a match-safe, the combination, with a receptacle provided with an inclined partition dividing the same into a lower compartment and an upper match-receiving compartment,

IOO

IIO

a delivery-slide having vertical movement in both compartments or chambers, a button having sliding movement at the exterior of the said receptacle, a connection between the said button and the delivery-slide, and a separating device carried by the said connection, and located just above the delivery-slide, of an upper section for the receptacle, provided with a chute having an exit at the exterior of the said upper section, Which chute is arranged to receive at its inner end a match carried upward by the delivery-slide, springs attached to the said receptacle, leading to the mouth of the said chute, and a shelf or table extending beyond the outer face of the receptacle and connected with the outlet of the chute which receives the match, as described.

5. In a match-safe, the combination, with a receptacle havingaspring-controlled outlet at its upper portion, and a match-receiving chamber having an inclined bottom, of a Weighted slide having movement through the matchreceiving chamber, the upper face of the weighted delivery-slide in its normal position constituting practically a continuation of the bottom of the match-receiving chamber, a pro-` j ection from the face of the receptacle, a guide device for the said projection having sliding movement in the said receptacle, a tape attached to the said guide device, a guide-roller for the upper end of the tape carried by the body of the1said receptacle, the inner end of the tape being adapted to be attached to the said delivery-slide, a separating device for the matches, attached to the inner member of the said tape at a point above the upper face of the deliveryslide, an outlet for the matches, located above the said chamber,

springs located at the mouth of the said outlet and operated by the movement of the said delivery-slide, and exterior means for receiving a match from the said outlet, as set forth.

6. In a match-safe, the combination, with a receptacle havinga springcontrolled outlet at its upper portion, and a match-receiving chamber having an inclined bottom, of a Weighted delivery-slide having movement through the match-receiving chamber, the upper face of the delivery-slide in its normal position constituting practically a continuation of the bottom of the match-receivin g chamber,a projection from a face of the receptacle, a guide device for the said projection, having sliding movement in said receptacle, a tape attached to said guide device, a guide-roller for the tape, carried by the body of said receptacle, the inner end of the tape being attached to said delivery-slide, a separating device for the matches, attached to the inner member of said tape at a point above the upper face of the dclivery-slide,an outlet for the matches, located above the said chamber, springs located at the mouth of said outlet and operated by the movement of said delivery-slide, an exterior means for receiving a match from said outlet, an alarm device located below the match receiving chamber, and a striking mechanism for the alarm device operated through the action of the said delivery-slide, as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

FREDRICK SCIINECKENBURGER.

Vitnesses:

JOHN SUPPLY, H. J. SCHNECKENBURGER. 

